Page 97 of Second Chance

39

Four Movie Buffs and a Funeral

[Mati]

The day of Caroline’s wake, I have my interview. Coaching for Northeastern would be a dream come true, especially as I didn’t complete my degree there nor did I get to use the volleyball scholarship I originally had to attend there. It wasn’t all Denton’s fault, but he felt guilty for weeks.

I’ll work every day at Duncan’s Construction if I need to, to have the money you lost.

It was a silly promise. My daddy could cover the cost. It was the loss of honor that hurt. That and my broken ankle. Climbing down the side of my house was becoming riskier, especially with a decade-old magnolia tree outside my window. Never truly sturdy enough to hold me, each climb through the branches was a short, thrill-seeking adventure. Until I fell.

Just jump. I’ll catch you, Denton promised.

My foot lost its hold, and I tumbled to the ground. The scream woke my father. Denton hadn’t caught me.

That’s what you get for sneaking out, my mother admonished.

Maybe you’re old enough to just use the door when you leave. My father winked. He never made assumptions about Denton and me. It’s as if he knew what we were doing was innocent enough. Maybe he also understood I officially dated Chris and would never cheat on him.

I trust you to be making smart decisions with either boy, baby girl. You aren’t one of my sons. Behave accordingly. The hint of a double standard never escaped me, but I appreciated my father’s confidence in me.

I’d broken my ankle in two places that night. Volleyball playing became my history.

The interview was nerve-racking, albeit exciting. The aura of a college campus. The youthful energy. The thrill of the sport. Hope rattled in my bones and my body hummed by the time I was on my way back to Blue Ridge for the wake. Driving home from the interview, I reviewed every question and my answers, scrutinizing my responses.

Is there anything preventing you from moving closer to the university?

I cursed myself when Denton entered my mind. He wasn’t a reason to hold me back. He wasn’t a reason for anything. He’d be leaving in two days. Once he settled with his sister about his grandmother, he’d probably never return to Blue Ridge. My heart sank at the thought, but I knew it was for the best. Denton Chance didn’t belong in our small town. He was always larger than life, and his return proves it all the more. He was meant to live outside our town.

I am still perspiring with nerves, although I thought the rest of the interview went well. I don’t have time to stop at home, so I use a drive-thru napkin to wipe the sweat under my pits. Certain I smell of both perspiration and guilt, I don’t have a choice but to enter the funeral home as I am—late.

Walking into O’Leary’s Funeral Home, I notice Cora across the subdued room packed with townspeople. A few people I recognize seem more the type to attend a wake for the notoriety of saying they were there. A few others are the type to keep their eyes on Denton Chance for signs of any drama. Kristy Moseley becomes case in point. Denton’s ex-wife clings to his arm as if she’s holding onto a lifeline. The irony is Caroline Chance never liked her momentary daughter-in-law.

It should have been you, Mati, she said to me once upon a time.

“Where have you been?” Cora accosts me after making her way through the crowd. In the heat of the room, it appears the whole town has shown up to pay respects to their former first lady. While I never cared for Kip, he worked to keep Blue Ridge on the map, putting up small subdivisions like mine and trying to attract large businesses. The brewery is the bread and butter of the community, though, and Kip Chance always hated that fact. With Charlie as the mayor the last decade, he’s shifted our economy to more small businesses and tourism.

“I had things to attend to,” I hush-whisper, not caring for her accusatory tone with me.

We're very impressed with your winning record but also your philosophy for team sports and women’s athletics. I’m not ready to share my little secret, but I smile to myself, nonetheless.

“What’s that grin for, Miss Matilda?” Cora admonishes. I ignore her and redirect with: “Did I miss something?”

I don't care for gossip, but her expression suggests if I’ve missed something important.

“Denton needs you.” First, I’m insulted with Cora’s tone. She’s eager to preach how a man should satisfy a woman, not be needy of her and make her feel her worth is deemed by him. Second, I’m shocked by her words. Denton doesn’t need me, I think, my heart softening a little at the possibility. I know my way around grief, so I understand. He needs someone, but I can’t narrow it down to only me.

As if he senses my thoughts of him, his head turns for the back of the room. He catches my eye, and I offer a weak wave. In return, I receive a head nod. Ouch.

“There are hundreds of people here,” I point out, holding at bay my wounded heart.

“But he’s only been looking for one person.” Her brows raise as her arm loops through mine, leading me farther into the funeral home. I don’t have a moment to pay my respects as the reverend calls our attention for a short prayer service. Shit, I’m later than I thought if the night has progressed to the prayer.

Cora guides me into seats near my family. Giant, Billy, and Charlie make a handsome lot in dark suits, lowered heads, and scruffy cheeks. I peek to the back of the room, hoping to find James on the periphery. Annoyance sparks when I don’t even see Crusty Rusty. My heart sinks for Dolores, and I face forward to find Denton peering over his shoulder. He doesn’t smile or even give me his Californian head nod. It’s as if he’s searching for someone but doesn’t see me.

“You need to seize that man,” Cora whispers, her voice a little louder than necessary and considering our surroundings, inappropriate. Billy chuckles next to me, while Charlie leans forward to raise an eyebrow in our direction.

“He isn’t a battle,” I mutter out the side of my mouth.